Tempus fugit!
Sandrine turns 17 on May 5. It’s hard to realize that Terri and I have had the privilege of sponsoring her since 2009. 8 years! To us, sponsoring means sending an amount each month equivalent to about 1/3 of our monthly Time-Warner bill (easily the most odious line item on our budget). Less than $50. To Sandrine and her small community in Rwanda, our sponsorship is a big deal.
Sandrine is not on Facebook. Her community does not have Internet. That’s ok because they do not have electricity. That’s not so bad; they don’t have street lights. Street lights are not really missed; the community does not have paved streets. Painted rectangles on dark asphalt would not make much sense in Nyarutovu because no one has a car.
I could go on: no snow-cones, no swimming pools, no television, no strollers, no hair dryers, no disposable diapers, no smart phones, no closets, no library, no baseball,…..no grocery carts. To her community and to Sandrine herself, the almost $50 per month is a big deal.
Sometimes she sends photos of what would have gone into a grocery cart if they had them there. Items they bought with the sponsorship money: beans, rice, flour, salt. As cited in my February post, one month, we sent extra and, to our surprise, they bought a cow! The people work hard and they have each other.
In case you are curious, you can go to worldvision.org and become a sponsor. There are brief bios and photos. You may consider current age, the country the child lives in and, certainly, the specific child as you select; or, World Vision can select one for you. Once you experience how meaningful sponsorship is, if you are like me, the next time you find a hole in your sock or that the milk in the refrigerator is older than the best-by date – you take it so much more in stride – even with a grin.
infinitesimus 